Monday, March 28, 2011

Hello All!Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday where Martha and I get all giddy about tea cups!Today I am sharing my visit to Replacements Ltd. a wonderful place for people who love china, tea cups, tea pots, silverware....just about all you need to set a beautiful table.Walking in to this place is like walking into the entrance to Disneyland!

Isn't this just the epitome of spring??? Such a beautiful scene in lovely colors.

There are tables set up with beautiful china!

A long...long row of china plates...so many different patterns to choose from!

They have a museum area that has a fine collection of Chintz as well as many other collectibles.

This section makes me week in the knee's!

*swoon*Do any of you feel this way about Chintz?

They have so many pieces. I did see some breakfast trays that were gorgeous, but I couldn't get a picture of them. They were fairly old and had some chips but were still about $1,000.

Here are some beautiful Shelley tea pots in the museum area.

This section of the store is dedicated to silver.

They have the most gorgeous pieces.

Look at the beautiful luster of this old set.

Oh my!(Replacements also has a service of making your old silver look beautiful and it is very reasonably priced).

This is a very stunning old tea set.

With a very stunning price!

Replacements is a very large store with many different areas of delight. They even have a place in the back with odds and end pieces, even old silverware in bins...for a discount.

I spent an hour really enjoying myself here. I am lucky that I do not live very far away. I have been meaning to share this for a while now,and today's is the first of two posts.I hope that you have enjoyed seeing what itlooks like inside this fabulous place.

If you would like to join in Tea Cup Tuesday this week, please create a post with a tea cup in it. Then come back here and link up below by filling in the two blanks with Mr. Linky.Tell us about your tea cup, it's history, or how you came to have it.

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I so appreciate you coming by. I look forward to visiting your blog soon.Hugs,Terri

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Hello All,What a weird week it has been here where I live, 80 degree weather, storms, hail, rain, and today it has been only 38 degrees!We are really mixing it up here!I have two things to share today...at the end will be Tea Cup Swap information, so if you are in the swap or want to be, please hang in till the end (smile!).

First off I have a delight to share with you all. As some of you know I have free tutorials on my sidebar. One of them is the Fairy School series. I have offered to share anyone's Fairy School on my blog if the artists agrees,and today's will be the second artist to share.Anne May created her own Fairy School and was kind enough to send me photos!Please visitAnne May's blog, it is full of all her artful items.I believe it is in Norwegian.I used the Google Translator to read what she posted.

Here is her school!

Four little fairies attend this lovely floral school. It looks like she has used Paperwhimsy.com for her children images.

I love the colors and the way she used the Popsicle sticks.

Her curtains and furniture are so well created. And look at the pegs for hanging things on...

Look at the cute shelves she created out of ice cream spoons.

She used napkins, paint and gesso to achieve this amazing texture on the exterior walls. Well done Anne May! Thank you so much for sharing your creative art with us!

Next I would like to share about our exciting Easter Tea Cup Swap! You can follow the link to the post with the information and guidelines.Below is a list of the participants I have so far. If I have missed your name, please e-mail me or leave a comment right away as I am picking partners.

If there is an (R) next to your name it means I have received the answers to the questions I sent out. If you have sent your answers to me but don't have an (R) next to your name please e-mail me or leave a comment. Thank you so much for all of you who have joined it.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Hello All!What a beautiful day it was today. We saw many really gorgeous tea cups today for Tea Cup Tuesday. Thank you all so much for participating.

I have two things to announce...One is the Easter Tea Cup Swap that Martha and I are hosting.Go to my previous post for details. How fun it will be to create a gorgeous basket with tea cup for a fellow blogger! And how fun to get one in turn!

I went to Random.Org and the winner comment number was.....35!!! (out of 84 comments!)

The winner if Princesa Nadie!!!Princesa Nadie has a beautiful blog. Please treat yourself by going to see it. I must admit, I do not know where she actually lives, I know her blog is in Spanish. Can't wait to find out where I will be mailing this tea for on to!Princesa Nadie, this is for you!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Hello All!Happy Tea Cup Tuesday!There is plenty of fun going on here today!I will be announcing the winner of my Birthday Gratitude Giveaway tonight!If you haven't entered, just follow the link above to do so.

Also, I am announcing Martha and I are hosting aEaster Tea Cup Swap!Yay!We are both excited to do this swap. Guidelines are posted at the end of this post.

Now on to my cup of the day!

This classy gilded cup is a delight to look at!

The background color is a gorgeous pale blue of the loveliest shade.(this may not translate in the photo above...)The only gilding on the handle can be seen from this angle.

There is this one delicate full rose in the bottom of the cup...and just look at those gold leaves!

It sits on a gold pedestal base and has a simple gold circle around its middle.

It has a simple narrow loop handle without any rest or spur, not even gilding on the side.

This cup was created by the Royal Grafton Company, who made many beautiful pieces of china. This backstamp began to be used in 1957 and continued until 1961.As you can see from the numbers it is patter K8381.This fine company closed in 1972.

Easter Tea Cup Swap

If you would like to consider joining in this swap, please read the quidelines fully below before signing up.

1. The swap consists of sending a tea cup to your partner, in an Easter basket, along with other goodies you know your partner would love.

2. Once you receive your partner information, you can e-mail them to ask what kind of tea cup they are wishing for, their favorite colors, and what else they might wish for in their Easter basket.

3. Only send a cup in excellent condition. No chips, cracks, or crazing (unless your partner likes the crazing). Make sure that the inside of the cup is without any bumps or marks. Many of us use our cups and it is so nice to have a cup that is without these things.

4. Be prepared to spend $25 for the cup, and then you will be adding shipping costs to this. If you are lucky to find a perfect cup for less, that is fine. But please really do make extra effort to find a truly delightful cup for your partner.

5. You will receive your partners name in two weeks. Your package needs to be mailed out so that your partner will receive it by Easter which is the 24th of April.

6.Create the best basket you can to delight your partner! Create it in their style. If they love vintage, then make them a vintage basket, if they love modern, then go modern in their colors...Just remember, you will be mailing it, so make sure your basket is not too big....just big enough for your tea cup and saucer and some goodies.

7. Grab the swap button on the right hand side of my blog and place it on yours. Thank you!

How fun it will be to see what every one receives. So once you do get your basket, please post about it for the following Tea Cup Tuesday so we can all see it.

Leave a comment to sign up, if you agree with the quide lines and are ready to play and are truly able to commit...we know there are emergencies, but we truly do not want anyone to be disappointed. Leave your blog address or e-mail so we can follow up with your partners name and any instructions I forgot to put in : )

Here is a basket I have started as an idea. I would still add some more goodies as per my partners wishes.

And I will bubble wrap the china well before I send it!

That is it for today. I look forward to seeing all your beautiful tea cups. If you want to play along, create a post with the tea cup you would like to share and then come back here and sign up with Mr. Linky. Then we can all come and visit you!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Hello All!Happy Friday!I had an opportunity to work in my art room this week and try a fun project that I saw over at Poetry In A Pot Of Tea, where Shawn posted a video of Tim Holtz creating what he calls a "W" book. She inspired me to create on myself (actually two!). One for my husband to remind us of our trip to Paris last year, and one I made to remind myself that I create my own happiness. Shawn has a lovely blog and she often post great videos, as well as beautiful cards she makes, and other creations. So please visit her, the first link takes you to her home page, the second one will take you to her post of the video.

The book is easy enough to make once you figure out how to fold it! I had to re watch Tim do it several times. But once I got it, I was good to go, and I really did enjoy making and decorating the books. I have even cut one out of a piece of fabric and hope to do some thing special with it.

A little touch of flowers tied with vintage seam binding.

The inside is filled with sweet messages to my dear hubby!

Here is my second book to remind me that I get to choose how I want to feel each day.

The lovely girl is from Paperwhimsy.com. A little vintage lace and heart add real charm.

I used some Cath Kidston papers I bought while in England.

A little silver Stickles and some vintage papers out of an old French medical book about ailments.This book has many pockets you can slip tags and messages into.

I used this vintage medical book on purpose behind my positive statements, to remind myself that no matter what is going on with me physically, I can still choose to feel JOY at any time....

Thank you so much for stopping by.May you have a blessed and joyful weekend.Hugs,TerriI will post the winner of my Birthday Gratitude Giveaway Tuesday evening.Follow the link above to leave a comment to enter.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Welcome once again to Tea Cup Tuesday!Martha and I love to share our china with you all, and we really love seeing your beautiful tea cups. Last week every cup was so stunning! Thank you all for participating.Make sure you stop by and see Martha's china. She has the most gorgeous cups around!

I was very lucky last week to spy these cups in an antique shop. They were quite dirty and I was trying to decide if they were what I wanted, by trying to rub off the dirt and grime and get a good look. I am so glad I brought them home,because once I cleaned them up they were gorgeous!

They do seem quite plain, but they feel very fine in the hand. I ended up buying 5 sets of them.

They really do look more elegant and beautiful in "person". The creamy white and the gold are very rich looking. The picture does not do them justice.

Look at the detail on the simple, albeit elegant and large, loop handle! So French!

This pretty leaf design circles the plate as well as the cup edge.

The stamp says this cup was made by Sevres, a company that began in the 1700's in France.I have read all over the Internet about the Sevres porcelain company, but still do know know very much about where my cups came from. There is also wording scratched in the porcelain, you can just barely see it in the photo.

King Louis IV took great interest in the company during his reign, going as far as to take over the company. He was very involved in the designs and quality of the china. He even had special viewing parties at Versailles where he greatly encouraged his guests to purchase. The earlier backstamp was two Ls known as the Double L for Louis. Above you can see a double L. Many other potters copied the styles and backstamps. Even though there was a law against it. This backstamp is not listed among the known stamps from the 18th century, but I have seen it shown as Sevres Style backstamp and in some places as 19th century Sevres backstamp.

From what I have seen of Sevres, they crafted beautiful and elaborate china pieces. My cups are very simple compared to them, and may be one clue that they are not Sevres.

This emblem on the plate and front of the cup reminds me of the symbol Laduree (a famous Paris restaurant and bakery) uses on their boxes and napkins. That may be why I loved them so much.

So my cups may be old or they may be new...they may be Sevres or they may be a knock off...I don't think I mind either way! I used them for a family tea last Sunday and they were lovely to drink from. That is perfect to me!

If you happen to know about this backstamp I would love to hear from you.

Thank you so much for stopping by and viewing my tea cups! If you would like to play along, just create a post with the tea cup you would like to share, and then come back here and fill in the blanks with Mr. Linky and you will be automatically added to the list. Make sure you check your link to see if it takes you to your site. Once in a while a link will not work and we can not find the participants post.

Thank you all for your lovely birthday wishes! I had a wonderful day!To celebrate I have a Gratitude Giveaway!(here is a sneak peek at the tea for one!)Go HERE to comment and have a chance to win!Hugs to you All,Terri